Winter Must Haves

The days are shorter, and the nights, colder; and thanks to global warming the temperatures are now more extreme and unpredictable! Nothing much you can do except layer up! What does that require? Some basic elements that you can build your winter wardrobe up from. What are these essentials? Refer to the list below to be winter ready in style!

COATS

When it comes to coats, there are three things to remember – The length, the fit, and the material.

You will need one that’s full length, one that goes until your calves and one that goes just past your hips! These three sizes will go with almost any outfit. You can wear the full-length coat over a short mini dress and stocking and still stay toasty. A mid-length coat with an interesting cut looks great with a pair of fitted jeans and a t-shirt, even dresses! The shortest one looks great with any type of bottoms – straight cut denim, long skirts, wide-legged pants. Just about anything.

Next, we move on to the fit and the materials. It’s essential to get a coat that flatters your body type and is not oversized or undersized. The fit has to be just right. If you are heavy at the bottom, an empire cut coat will work well for you. If you are tall and want to flaunt your height, a full-length coat will do just that. Look for a coat with at least one standout quality when it comes to the cut or the details. Coats with elbow patches look really old-school and hipster. One with a cape details and a spread collar looks every Victorian and chic.

The materials & patterns play a huge part too! Woollen coats are classic, suede, soft leather, metallics, checks, houndstooth, faux fur are all great options! If your wardrobe mainly consists of classic pieces, a woollen jacket or a fur one will go with most of your clothing. Similarly, if your style is more grunge – soft leather, plaids and suede are for you!

Jackets are another great way to layer, you can stop at that or wear it under a coat for added oomph! Now there are a hundred options out there. But these five will get you through anything, really – a denim jacket, a blazer, a quilted jacket and a leather jacket. Once you have these in your wardrobe, it’s a great foundation to built up from.

Once again, work with the colours you already have in your wardrobe. If you have only monotones, a jacket in pastel or a bright pop of colour will be a good bet. If you work with a lot of quirky pieces and prints in your wardrobe a mix of solid colours and complementing patterns is a good investment!

When you are about to pick a jacket, think of at least three completely different ways in which you can wear it. If you can’t come up with even three, it ain’t the right one!

Sweaters are amazing, and there is so much you can do with them! You need these five in your closet – a classic pullover, a cardigan, an open face long sweater, a hoodie and a turtleneck! These are so versatile and when layered right can make so many different outfits. You can wear it under a dress, over long shirts, with tank tops, the list goes on and on! Now we’d suggest you get a sweater in an open weave and a fuzzy one, and you’re good to go. When it comes to colours; choose black, greys and whites for a turtleneck and cardigans. Solid bright colour for a hoodie, with some details, would be even better; and patterns for sweaters.

No, we don’t mean jewellery – we are talking about stockings, leg warmers, beanies, scarfs and gloves! Accessories can go a long way in making or breaking an outfit. When it comes to accessories the rule to follow is – have one in black, one in red, one in a bright hue and one in classic patterns such as checks or stripes! If you got these covered. You can’t go wrong! This does not apply to stockings, black stocking alone will suffice, but make sure you stock up on some playful patterns in black.

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Maithili Chodankar is a guest writer at Elan Street. She is a fashion blogger at Mauve Moustache. Her fashion motto is 'Never Fit In'. She enjoys travelling, playing the guitar and being a doting parent to her awesome pets.

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